Vehicle bogie construction



H. w. JQNKHOFF VEHICLE BOGIE CONSTRUCTION Sept. 24, 1935,

Filed Aug. 7, 1934 Zhwentot 1% (JW 0 fij its main objects to provide a bogie embodying a Patented Sept.

This invention relates 'to improvements in bogies for use on road PATENT oFncE VEHICLE Boom cous'muo'rron Henri Wouter Jonkhoi'f, Dusseldorf, Germany Application August '1, 1934, Serial No. 738,854 6 Claims. (01. 280-335) and similar vehicles generally and particularlyfor use on drawn vehicles such as trailers and the like, and has for one of construction, and a connection with the. vehicle body or chassis which it the case of a trailer or single bogie, or in the case having front and rear bogies, single bogie, or of the front may be, are steered supports, such that, in the like having only a of a trailer or the like the wheels of the bogie, as the case in a novel manner so as to track, or substantially track, the wheels of .the

- vehicle by'which the Another main obj trailer or the like is drawn. ect 'of the invention is, to

provide a bogie embodying-a construction and a connection with it supports,

such that, in

the vehicle body or chassis which the case of a trailer or the like having front and rear hogies, the wheels of the rear bogie are steered in response to deviation of the body or chassis of the vehicle from movement in a straight line so as to track,

or substantially track, the wheels of the front bogie.

Another special object of the invention is to provide a bogie objects aforemention quire any change in is used either alone which is capable of attaining the ed and which does not reits construction whether it or at the front or at the rear of a trailer or the like. Another object of the invention is to provide a bogie embodying steering features as tioned and which, at the same time,

is of relatively simple, inexpensive construction, strong,

durable and thoroughly use.

reliable and efficient in With the foregoing and other objects in view,

which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the

same consists in the tion,

combination and arrangement will be hereinafter more trated in the accompanying in the appended claims.

novel features of construcof. parts as fully .described, illusdrawing and defined ferent views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a trailer equipped with front with .the invention, being shown broken and rear pairs of bogies in accordance parts of the trailer platform away to disclose the under- .lying bogie constructions and the wheels of the bogies being when the trailer is Figure 2 is a view shown in the positions they occupy travelling straight ahead.

similar to Figure 1 of the of road.

aforemenfront end portion ofthe trailer showing a status of the front bogies when the front end of the trailer is about to enter a curve and prior to the trailer having deviated from forward movement in a straight line. 5

" Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 of the rear end portion of the trailer showing a status of the rear bogies after the trailer has entered a curve and the trailer has deviated from ure 4.

Figure '7 is a detail rear end view of the trailer showing means to hold the cross beam of the rear bogies in a fixed relationship relative to the body or chassis of the trailer; and f 20 Figure 8 is a view'diagrammatieally illustrating the steering action of the bogies during travel of the trailer from a straight stretch of road into and around a curve to another-straight stretch Referring to the drawing in detail, A designates, generally, the body or chassis of a vehicle, such as a trailer or the like, which is intended to be drawn by another vehicle and which, for. I

convenience, is illustrated in the present instance as'comprising simply a platform of elongated rectangular shape. Also, as illustrated in the present instance, the body A is supported by front and rear bogies designated generally as B, B, respectively, but as will hereinafter appear, either bogie B or B may be used to the exclusion of the other. I Y

Referring first to the front bogie B, it will be observed that the same comprises a cross bar l0 which is disposed beneath the body A and which, intermediate its ends, is pivoted to said body as indicated at II for rotary movement in a horizontal plane. It will also be observed that beneath the bar It] at eachend thereof is a frame l2 of inverted U-shape and that each frame is 45 pivoted to the related end of the bar 10 as indicated at l3 for rotary movement in a horizontal plane relative to said bar.

A pin H connects the downwardly extending spaced arms [5 of each frame l2 and on each pin H are pivoted the inner ends of a pair of forwardly and rearwardly directed arms I6 and i1, respectively, the forwardly directed arm l6 of each pair having a wheel I8 pivotally mounted thereon for rotation or steering movements in able spring 20 whereby said arms are maintained substantially horizontally disposed normally but arepermitted to swing upwardly or-downwardly g The forward or steering wheels I I, II are rotatthe steering wheels It, Is. Rigid with each frame If is a gear segment 22 connection ii of the related frame I 2 withv said ofhsteeil'ing movement is imparted to each steering w eel I. 4 Rigid with and extending forwardly from the bar It is a tongue 28 for connection with a pulling vehicle to couple the trailer A therewith and to swing the bar It on its pivot II in response to changes in the direction of travel of the pulling 40v vehicle. In thisconnection it will be noted by longitudinal axis of the trailer for straight ahead the right hand pivot It moves forwardly a greater amount than the pivotal connection of the right hand rod 24 with the bar II, and since the left the pivotal connection of the left hand rod II N with the bar ll, due to the pivots ll, ll said i in practically the same assuming located outwardly with respect to the pivotal connections of the rods 24 with said bar l0, it fol-'-, lows that left hand angular steering movements are imparted ,to the wheels, II, II and that the amounts of steering movements thus imparted to 5 rods 24 with the bar it, this distance being pre-v determined so that for a .tongue which is con- 10 nected a given distance from the pivot II with a pulling vehicle, Just sufficient steering movements are imparted to thewheels i8, II to cause them to ltraclr, or substantially to track, the wheels of the hand curve and the tongue 28 is'swung to the I right, and, i'urthermore, after the turn has been negotiated and the pulling vehicleagain enters a straight stretch of roadway, the tongue 25 and 20 the wheels II, II are, of course, returned to positions parallelwith the longitudinal axis of the trailer.- whether the trailer is of short bogie, as the case may, be, are steered so as,to track, or substantially to track, the wheels of the vehicle by which the trailer isdrawn. :10

of the bar ll relative to the body A for the purpose of steering mthe rear bogie during "backing" of the trailer.

Therefore, if provision for steering the rear bogie during "backing" of the trailer is not desired, the tongue 2| may be eliminated and 'e bar ll may be fastened rigidly to the body A; 4-5 Normally. that is; when the trailer is travelling straight ahead, the wheels of the rear bogie are disposed parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the trailer, and the front steerthis position because of their connections with the cross bar II. The tendency of said wheels is. of course, to'travel straight ahead. Consequently, when the trailer enters a curve and the course of the body A is changed, to the left, for 515 example, as illustrated in Figure 3, the bar I.

is swung with the trailer body relative to the travel of the trailer is indi c the construction claims. For example,

'such conditions respectively, wheel supporting means carried by Figure 8 of the drawing illustrates diagrammatically the action of the bogies 3.13 during travel of the trailer from a straight roadway into and around a curve onto another straight stretch of roadway. The direction of ated by the arrow and position a indie tes the trailer as travelling a straight stretc approaching a curve; position b" indicates the tongue and the steering wheels of the front bogie as having been swung substantially as shown and described in connection with Figure 2 prior to deviation of the trailer body from its straight ahead course, position indicates the trailer body as having entered the curve and the front and rear bogies as having substantially the responsive positions illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, respectively, and position d indicates a restored normal status of the bogies after the trailer has negotiated the curve and has entered another straight stretch of roadway. I v

- Without further description it is thought that be clearly understood. It is desired to point out, however, that while certain specific structures have been illustrated, the invention is capable of embodiment in other structures within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended in any case where the cross beam is held fixed relative to the body A. said cross beam constitut es to all intents and purposes a part of the body. Therefore, under it is apparent that the frames l2 may be pivoted directly to the body. and that the ends of the rods 24 remote from the wheels may likewise be pivoted directly to the body instead of to the cross beam, which beam may, if desired, be eliminated.

I claim:

1. In combination, a vehicle body, a cross beam carried by saidbody, a pair of frames pivoted to said cross beam near opposite ends thereof,

stretch of pivotally mounted on said body andin which means body, in which a beam for swinging and operation'of the bogies will oted to its related frame each frame, and a front and a rear wheel on each supporting means, the front wheels being supporting means for steering movement.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in whichthe cross beam-is pivoted to the vehicle are provided whereby pivotal movements of said cross beam impart steering movements to the steerably pivoted wheels.

a. The combination as set forth in claim -1 in which the cross beam is pivoted to the vehicle tongue extends from said cross the same, and in which connections are provided between the steerably piv- I oted wheels and said cross beam whereby rotation of the latter imparts steering movements to said steerably pivoted wheels.

4. In combination, a vehicle body, a cross beam pivoted intermediate its ends to said body, a pair of frames pivoted to said cross beam near op osite ends thereof, respectively, wheel supporting means carried by each frame, a front and a, rear wheel on each supporting means, the front wheels being pivotally mounted on said supporting means for steering movements, and connections between the latter wheels and the cross beam whereby swinging movements of the cross beam imparts steering movements to said wheels.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 including means to maintain a parallel relationship between the respective frames. r

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which each wheel supporting means comprises a forwardly and a rearwardly extending arm pivfor vertical movement, andin which spring ,means cooperate with said arms to resist upward pivotal movements there- HENRI WOUTER J ONKHOFF. 

